Wire-fence machine.



No. 664,985. Pateniedlan. l, |901. w.. "..vALENTmL WIRE Fence M'AcHlNE.

(Applcatiqn mod Ang. 27, 1900.\

um mmol.)

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Nrrnn STATES ATENT GFFICE.

VILLIAM H. VALENTINE, OF SHELBY COUNTY, INDIANA.

WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,985,6.ated January1, 1901.

Application filed August 27, 1900. `Serial No. 28,215. (No model.)

To all whom it may oucerzc;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H.VALENTINE, a citizen of the United States,residing' in the county of Shelby and State of Indiana, have Vinvented anew vand useful Wire-Fence Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

This in vent-ion relates to machines for making wire fences in general,and more particularly to the class of portable machines wherein thestay-wire is wound upon a spool and the spool is taken bodily around thestrand-wires successively, one object of the invention being to providea simple and cheap construe,- tion wherein the stay-Wire will notinterfere with the working parts and which may be quickly shifted fromone strand-wire to another in the operation of application of the stay.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from thefollowing description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specincatiou, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure l is a side elevation showing the practical application of themachine in the manufacture of a fence. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of theworking parts of the machine in position on a strand-wire, thesupportingframe for the machine being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a Viewshowing the machine partly in section and partly in elevation andlooking from the rear side of the machine. Fig. 4 is a section takenvertically through the winding-gear and showing a portion of itssupporting-bracket. Fig. 5 is a face view of the rear plate of theWinding or twisting gear.

Referring now to the drawings, the present machine includes arectangular frame comprising top and bottom pieces 5 and 6 and sidepieces 7 and 8, and on the side pieces of which are slidably disposedspacing-blocks 9, adapted to be held at different points of the sidepieces by means of set-screws 10, as shown, said blocks being adaptedfor engagement over the wires 11 of a fence, towhich the staywires areto be applied. A carrying-rod 13 is fixed to the upper and lower pieces5 and 6 and stands vertical, and this rod carries the machine proper ina manner hereinafter described.

The machine propercomprises a bracket including two members, a body 14and an arm 15, extending at right angles to the body, the body portionhaving acollarl at one end, which is slidably engaged with thecarrying-Y rod 13, and below this collar there is disposed on the rod acollar 17, having a set-screw for clamping it in place to hold thecollar 16 at different elevations, while permitting it to be swung onthe rod as a pivot.

Through the arm is formed an opening 18, the rear end of which iscountersunk, as shown at 19. A radial slot is formed in the arm, whichis circular in form and leads from the periphery of the arm to theopening 18.

What is teruied a winding gear-wheel 42O is provided and has arearwardly-extending hub 21, which fits in the opening 18, and upon therear end of the hub is fixed a circular plate 22, which ts in thecountersink 19 and prevents outward movement of the gear 20' from thebracket-arm. The gear 20' and plate 22 have registering slots 23 and 24therein, and as the gear, and therewith the plate, is rotated, the slots23 and 24 are moved into and out of alinement with the slot 2O to permitengagement of said slots simultaneously with a strand-wire 25 of thefence to be provided with stays. A central opening 26 is formed in the`gear 20',and a plate 27, of hardened steel, is disposed in this openingin the gear and ush with the face thereof, said plate having a slot 28,which registers with the slot of the gear, and having also a perforation29 therethrough, which alines with perforations 30 and 31 in the gear 20and plate 22. A pin 32 extends rearwardly from the plate 22 and isadapted to receive a hollow spindle 34, on which the stay-wire is wound,said pin being at one side of the center of the plate and beyond' theperforation 31 therein, so. that the wire from the spool may be threadedthrough the perforations 31, 30, and 29 and engaged with a strand-wire,If the gear 20 be then rotated, the spoolof wire will be taken bodilyaround the strandwire and the stay-wire will be wrapped thereon, itbeing understood that at this time the strand-wire is in the radial slotof gear 20 and the slots alined therewith.

To prevent Winding of the wire from the IOO spool upon the strand-wirebetween the spool and the gear 20', a plate 35 is fixed atits edge tothe rear face of the plate 22, the plate being disposed to projectrearwardly at right angles to the plate 22, between the spool and thecenter of the plate, through which is passed the strand-wire, this platebei ng adapted to catch any wrappings that may drop from the spool, andthus prevent them from wrapping about the strand-wire.

In order to rotate the wheel 20' and therewith the spool of stay-wire, ashaft is journaled in the body 14 of the bracket and has a drivingbevel-gear 41 at one end, which meshes with the gear 20', which is alsoa bevel-gear, the shaft 40 having an operatingcrank 42 at its outer end.After the staywire has been given the desired number of Wrappings aboutthe strand-wire the bracket is swung outwardly to draw the machine fromthe strand-wire, and to permit this swinging of the machine it is ofcourse necessary that the slots in the arm 15 and the plate 22 and gear20 be in registry, and to insure this condition a trigger or bolt 45 isslidably mounted in uprights 46 on the body 14 of the bracket forengagement with a perforation 47 in the gear-wheel 41, said holt beingheld yieldably in this position by means of a helical spring 48, whichencircles the bolt and hears at one end against the outermost uprightand at its opposite end against a finger 4.() on the bolt. This finger49 extends over and beyond the gear 41 in such position that when thebracket is pivotally swung to engage the slot of gear 20' with thestrand-wire the end of the finger will strike the upright or side piece7 and press the bolt rearwardly from engagement with the perforation ingear 41, and thus permit it to turn under theinfluence of the crank.lVhen the bracket is swung back, the end of the bolt moves against gear41, and when the said gear is rotated the bolt snaps into theperforation thereof.

It will be understood that in practice various modifications of thespecific construetion shown may be made and that any suitable materialsand proportions may be used for the various parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. In afence-machine,the combination with a framehaving a carrying-rod thereon, of a bracket pivotally mounted on the rodand having a slotted arm, awinding-wheel mounted in the arm and having aradial slot disposed for alinement at times with the slot of the arm,means carried by thewinding-Wheel for holding a wire-spool, and a latchfor holding` the slots in alinement, said latch having a finger forengagement with a portion of the frame to move the latch from itsengaged p0- sition when the winding-wheel is in operative position.

2. In a fenee-machine,the combination with a supporting-frame, of abracket slidahlyand pivotally connected therewith, said bracket having aslotted arm adapted to receive a strand-wire in its slot, a gear-wheelmounted in the arm and having a radial slot tor alinement at times withthe slot of the arm, a shaft journaled in the bracket, a gear carried bythe shaft and meshing with the first gear,

acrank connected with the shaft for operating the latter to drive thegears, the second gear having an opening therein, a bolt slidablymounted on the bracket and adapted for engagement with the opening tolock the second gear to hold the first gear with its slot in alinementwith the slot of the arm, a finger on the holt for engagement with aportionof the frame to retract the bolt when the frame is swung intooperative position, and a spool-holder carried by the first gear.

3. A fence-machine comprising a bracket having a winding-gear mountedtherein, a

plate upon the rear of the winding-gear and' having a pin to receive awire-spool, a guard connected at its edge to the rear of the plate andlying transversely ot' the plate between the pin and the center of theplate, slots formed in the winding-gear and plate at the opposite sideof the center of the plate from the spool-holding pin, said brackethaving a slot for alinement with the slots of the gear and plate topermit entrance of a strand-wire thereto, said plate and gear having'also alining perforations between the guard-wire and spool-holding pinto receive tbe end of the wire from the spool, and means for rotatingthe winding-gear.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM I-I. VALENTINE.

Witnesses:

JNO. VALEN'HNE, D. H. THOMPSON.

IOC

